Ortovox M2 Avalanche Beacon

This is my first avalanche beacon and with friends we first tried it on our own doing some exercises based on advices from an avalanche survival book. The beacons were extremely easy to use, really user friendly.

Out of all the transeiver I have owned, including the Mammut Pulse and Ortovox Patroller, this is by far my favorite. It is extremely comfortable to wear because it contours to your abdomen, it has a phenomenal range of 80m, and it is relatively inexpensive when compared to its big brother the Ortovox S1. To top it all off, it has an extremely user freindly interface that works best with single burials but works well with multiple burials too. The strap system also works extremely well, because whenever it is strapped to you it is automatically locked into the on position, so there is no way that it could accidentally be turned off during use. I HIGHLY recommend this transceiver.

I purchased three of these for myself and my two kids. We had a 3-4ft dump here in Tahoe, CA and my kids wanted to hit the deep stuff off piste. As a Dad it is exciting to watch your kids become GREAT skiers/boarders, however, when you start taking the kids to the backcountry/off piste, your heart is in your throat when you see them drop in. I had discussed this concern with a ski buddy and former ski patrol and he said, what are you waiting for, I never go anywhere with it. Done. Purchased these based on reviews from this and other sites, easy of use was on high on the list. They came in your site's usual rapid fashion. Out of the box, within an hour we had the basics down and were off to the mountain (Didn't get any first tracks, but the skiing was still awesome.) I have to admit it helped, but the heart is still in the throat when the kids drop-in, but I do feel prepared to do something and that helps. We ski at Alpine Meadows and the patrol there buries beacons to practice search and will even take us out to show us technique. So what are you waiting for? Dropping into the deep stuff anytime soon, make sure someone can find you... Ski often, ski safe!

Positive interlocks provided by the harness connections make the On/Off and Send/Transmit controls fail safe and intuitive. As long as your batteries are fresh, which is easy to determine from the display, you have confidence of what mode you are in without needing to look at anything. The downside is that when you turn the unit off it is either hanging lose around your neck or you have to stow it away. I consider this a small price to pay to instantly know the unit is in send mode. While in search mode, like most modern peeps, it provides intuitive clues about how to close the distance and its use will be familiar to anyone who is in the backcountry. Maybe not the best on the market but certainly an equal to all the other models I have used. Note that I have not tried any of the gazillion $ units now on the market.

If I am going to be responsible for saving my friends life this beacon will allow me to do it. The #1 Beacon used by ski patrollers and guides world wide I will not trust anything else.

I have used the older Ortovox F1 for many years and like the simplicity. The M2 kit (w/shovel and probe poles) I just bought for my wife is a nice step up. It’s a very simple operation. I like the arrow-icon that tells the user to adjust dial up or down. It seems to be very accurate in distance and very sensitive to direction. Other than price, I highly recommend this product. The probe poles and shovel also appear to be of very good quality, although another reviewer said the shovel was weak. I have not really tested these too much yet. Happy skiing from Sandpoint!

Although a bit delicate (don't drop it in the snow) this is a very accurate and reliable beacon-I personally found it the easiest to use and understand- it's use is simple and precise, saving precious moments while in search mode (I have not used it yet in a real emergency situation-thankfully,) I wouldn't use any other beacon to locate my riding partner or fellow skiers/boarders in distress-the most accurate I've tried. Accurate and the longest most reliable range of any beacon-we practice frequently-fun game BTW-and we can locate this little guy under 6 ft. of snow from 60 meters within 10 minutes or less!!! A bit larger than most-and as I said keep it dry and careful switching batteries, which also BTW lasted 2 weeks when I forgot to turn it off...DOH!-checked it-it still had a 99 percent battery power indication-AWESOME! This is an incredible beacon-next to my board and backpack, this is my best backcountry friend-I trust my life and my partners with it 100%; well worth 300 bones. If you snowmobile or your 'better half' does and you want them to return home after a really bad day in the hills-get 'em this guy-and feel safe knowing they WILL be found alive!!! Nuff said... (Truly all beacons work superb, any working beacon is a good beacon-I just like this one best; easy,accurate,superior range, one of the first companies making beacons)

Distance and signal strength information makes locating the victim simple. Plus the display tells you when to change your distance attenuation. IMO the M2 is just as easy to use as a Tracker. In practice I found the short range of a Tracker to be limited to slightly less than 40m, while I was getting 80m out of the M2. Does range matter? All I know is I want a signal sooner rather than later. I also found the M2 to be superior in fine-grain searches. The audio tone of the M2 changed noticeably when you were right over the victim while with the Tracker you never know until you probe. The M2 is also much better for multiple burials. You can hear the other beacons and you can adjust the range attenuation to quickly identify the relative distances from the initial beacon.

Takes more practice than the Tracker, but very fast once you gain experience. Also better for multiple burials in which each beacon stays on as it is found, since you can hear the different beacons. Longer range can be helpful in certain situations, although usually is not a factor. Harness system allows for very easy change to search mode.

My fiance and I live in Breckenridge, Colorado. He is an avid snowmobiler and for his last birthday I bought an Ortovox M2. I did a lot of research before buying. The consistent response was also the strongest endorsement - people trust it with their lives. Knowing that he is wearing it, that it is the very best on the market and that I got it for a great price - make it a gift to both of us! Thank you Jeni Eakman East West Resorts